


The Pantora Incident

by paintin_the_planet_blue



Series: Run me like a River [1]
Category: Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: M/M, Slow Burn, This whole operation was your idea, Xeno, hello there, idiots in love that don't even realize it, is this flirting? yes, now this is what I wanted, thrawn is mmm HOT with that yellow, vanto is blue now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-21 01:46:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30014226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintin_the_planet_blue/pseuds/paintin_the_planet_blue
Summary: There was one mission with Thrawn that Eli Vanto could never forget. It was what he privately called The Pantora Incident and it had changed everything.
Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Series: Run me like a River [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207934
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. The Plan

Eli Vanto did not like going undercover. He still wasn’t sure how he was in this whole situation in the first place and why he wasn’t just still in a supply depo somewhere, content and safe and not risking his skin on the regular. But this was his life now and it was all the fault of one man.

Kriffin’ Thrawn.

And Colonel Yularen, too, though to a lesser degree.

The whole Nightswan thing seemed to stretch across the entire galaxy and if he hadn’t looked at the data, Vanto would have absolutely thought that those two were being overly paranoid. But it all really did connect back to that one name.

Nightswan. (Who could also be blamed for messing up his life.)

Eli respected Captain Thrawn and Colonel Yularen too much to ever actually complain about it, but there were times when he wished he could say something. Thrawn had been promoted, what? Three times? More? Eli had lost track at this point. It seemed like the amount of rank tiles changed daily. And yet he was still an ensign. What a fucking joke. So much for the Empire’s whole human superiority thing (though he was happy Thrawn wasn’t being discriminated against in that sense.)

The trail now led Thrawn to Pantora and somehow it wasn’t as surprising as it should have been. Being that Thrawn was, well, blue, Eli had thought something like this might happen at some point. Thrawn had gotten that whole _Pantorian with an eye condition_ enough times for it to be a logical course of action if the opportunity ever arose.

Thrawn, at least, was happy about it. Currently, the blue bastard was cooped up in his room looking at Pantorian art and plotting their mission. Eli was more than happy to have the rest of the apartment to himself knowing that Thrawn wouldn’t emerge for several hours. It was enough time to pack a bag full of his favorite Coruscanti snacks and order yet another novelty shirt. He had a nice collection at this point of shirts from each world they’d visited and nobody ever checked what his undershirt looked like. Thrawn knew, of course, always catching Eli before he’d put the rest of his uniform on and reading his shirt with an expression of amusement poorly hidden behind a mug of caf or tea.

Coruscant was great like that. Eli could order something and it would show up at their door in less than an hour. He’d memorized Thrawn’s credit line number _ages_ ago and he’d never said anything. At least Eli’s collection was _practical._ Thrawn’s Clone War-era droids and art were decidedly less so and totally filled up the spare room of the apartment.

At least they were in a separate room now. Eli had once woken up to find three B2 battle droid torsos lurking just below his nice view of traffic and smog and had screamed loud enough that their neighbor had knocked on the door and asked if everything was all right. _That_ had properly embarrassed Thrawn. And as nice as it would have been to have a proper office (for either of them, really) it was fine if Thrawn had his own space for all his weird junk.

There was never a dull moment when Thrawn was around.

Except for now. This was dull.

Thrawn had returned from the ISB headquarters and said, “Pantora,” in a slightly excited, slightly ominous tone and then had vanished into his room.

Eli really wanted to know _what_ the plan was so he could prepare mentally and shove all of his Thrawn-caused anxiety to the deepest corner of his mind. Or look at numbers. Something. Anything.

He didn’t want to bother Thrawn in the middle of his research because Eli knew that he’d look up and sigh politely but pointedly and ask him if whatever he needed was truly urgent enough that he couldn’t just comm him.

Was the Nabooian takeout still good? He couldn’t remember if that had been from a few days or a few weeks ago. Half of the food in the refrigeration unit were Thrawn’s half-eaten meals but Eli didn’t care. He’d lived with the man long enough that he wasn’t worried about weird Chiss germs.

The takeout still looked fine and hadn’t grown anything on it so he reheated it with a shrug and settled down at the kitchen table, pushing some datapads to the side. Might as well have a full stomach before Thrawn filled him in on whatever terrible persona he was going to have to fake.Eli figured he should do his own research on Pantora but then decided against it. Whatever little plan or idea he came up with, Thrawn’s would probably be better in every way. Plus, with the whole artwork thing, Thrawn would already know way more than what Eli could find on the HoloNet. He’d drink to relax, but he wasn’t sure how soon they’d be leaving. Too soon, as the case always seemed to be.

By the time he’d finished the leftovers, Thrawn had emerged from his room and the brightness of his eyes signaled to Eli that, yeah, he had a plan and it was a _hell_ of a plan.

“I _was_ going to finish that.” Thrawn said.

“No, you were not. You’ve never finished a box of takeout. Ever.” Eli pointed his fork at him. “What’s your plan? And if it doesn’t involve me and some blue dye, I will be extremely disappointed.”

“That _would_ make things easier.” Thrawn mused.

Eli rolled his eyes. Always missing the basics, this guy. “Tell me your plan so far, which now involves me being blue.”

“As you wish.” Thrawn sat across from him and activated a small holoprojector. “The moon of Pantora is primarily marshy, which allows the growth of certain kinds of medicinal spice. There are rich mineral veins as well, making it a prime target for smugglers and pirates. Pantora is under Imperial control in legal trade, but they maintain an autonomous government and are mostly neutral towards Imperial rule. Beauty is highly prized in the Pantorian culture and skincare elixirs are another one of their primary exports. However, they are not to be underestimated. Similar to the Chiss, Pantorians are often skilled warriors.”

“They’ve got a diverse portfolio,” Eli remarked, looking over the chart of top exports that Thrawn had pulled up. “Feels to me more like they’re masking what industries are most important.”

“Exactly.” Thrawn smiled slightly. “Their art shows that they favor direct action and are unlikely to be caught unarmed.”

“Sounds like someone I know.” Eli grumbled to himself. “I hope your plan is good because I really don’t want to get a vibroblade to the back.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen to you.” Thrawn reassured him.

Eli knew that was true, yet he’d still been nicked by blaster bolts when he just wasn’t quite on the same wavelength as Thrawn and following his plan. He was much better at anticipating and understanding what was going on in that head, but still not perfect.

“So are we gonna be smugglers? What’s the plan there?”

“There’s a group called the Golden Claw.” Thrawn changed the projection to show a painting of a diverse group of Pantorians. The only thing they had in common were identically patterned blue and gold masks that fit over their eyes like a stripe of anonymity. “They serve as a sort of council for the various legal and illegal activities that involve the economy.”

“Lucky for you that they all have masks on.”

“Yes,” said Thrawn with a wry smile. “That should make things less difficult.”

“So we get into their group, gain their trust, figure out what the hell Nightswan’s up to on Pantora, and shut it down?” Eli asked. It seemed straightforward enough, but things were rarely ever easy or simple.

“That’s the general idea.” Thrawn said. “Plans subject to change, of course.”

“Of course.” Eli agreed. “Looks like we need to go shop for a wardrobe.”

The disguise part of the mission pre-prep was one of his favorite parts. Thrawn was _extremely_ talented at finding outfits that matched the culture, but were not too ostentatious. One of the burgundy robes that Thrawn had found had enough pockets to hide an entire cache of weapons. And giving his opinion on how a particular garment fit Thrawn was something that Eli _very much_ enjoyed because he got to look at that man as much as he wanted and also tell him when he looked absurd. It was a difficult task because Thrawn looked perfect in _everything_. Then it was Eli’s turn and Thrawn was _terribly_ picky, shaking his head at every outfit.

“Why are you giving me such a hard time?” Eli threw down a synthleather jacket in frustration and sheepishly picked it up after a glare from the shopkeep. “These aren’t that much different than what you’ve got.”

“I am having a difficult time visualizing you in a different color.” Thrawn said, sounding the slightest bit frustrated.

Eli snorted. “Really? I thought you’d find that easy.”

“You are Eli Vanto. I haven’t needed to visualize you as any other species because that would be pointless.” Thrawn eyed the jacket. “Purchase that one, at least.”

Their next stop was further in the depths of Coruscant and Eli stuck close to Thrawn. Last thing he wanted was to get mugged before this mission started. That’d be embarrassing. He didn’t know where they were going but Thrawn was navigating the maze of the lower levels like a true professional.

The shop wasn’t too run down to Eli’s relief. He _really_ didn’t want to put something on his skin that was from a place like… well, the one just across the duracrete that was oozing something green from the walls. Yikes.

Thrawn opened the door for him and Eli found himself in a riot of color, shelves upon shelves crammed with bottles filled with every shade imaginable and, he guessed, colors that his human eyes couldn’t perceive. He looked over at Thrawn who had removed his dark tinted glasses and was surveying the blue section with interest.

A Twi’lek woman popped up from behind the counter and eyed them with interest. “If you're here for color reducers, we’re all sold out.”

Eli had no idea what that meant but it sounded like a real bummer.

“Are ya lookin’ to match? Or are ya lookin’ for a change?”

“Match.” said Thrawn. “I would appreciate your assistance.”

“Of course!” She said cheerfully, vaulting over the counter. “Everyone says I’ve got the best eye for color.”

Eli wasn’t so sure about that because her skin seemed to be a patchwork of clashing colors, through from the look on Thrawn’s face (the same look he got when studying a particularly evocative piece of art) there was something he was missing.

“You two sit over there,” she gestured at a pile of cushions in an adjacent room, “and get comfortable while I get my supplies.”

Eli followed Thrawn into that room and settled down (not too close) next to him.

“Have you done something like this before?” Thrawn seemed confident or at least comfortable with the situation.

“No,” said Thrawn. “But I read about it.”

Eli snorted. Typical Thrawn.

“Got any allergies? Either of ya?” She called from the next room.

“Not that I can think of?” Eli said, suddenly wary.

  
“No,” said Thrawn.

“Well, if you don’t know about them, then there’s likely nothin’ to worry about.” The Twi’lek returned with an armful of bottles filled with various shades of blue. “These have all been primed to come off with water, so jus’ pop into the ‘fresher when you get home and you’ll be right as rain. The real stuff’ll last much longer. Ya gotta be closer though.”

Eli bit his lip and moved closer to Thrawn, leaving a slight gap between them.

“Closer,” she instructed, rolling her eyes. “I want ya both to be in the same quality of light.”

Thrawn pulled Eli closer with a slight huff. Eli tensed as he settled down across from him, their legs just touching. This was… totally weird. He’d been close to Thrawn, of course, but he forgot how damn cold the man was. He was quickly distracted from the nerve-racking experience of sitting close to Thrawn by the much more odd situation of having lines of blue painted on him with a sponge.

She started with Thrawn’s arm, methodically running through various hues until she found one that blended in perfectly with his skin. Setting that one aside, she tested it on Eli, painting a much larger swath of his arm blue. Their faces were next and Eli found himself very, very conscious of every detail of Thrawn’s face in as he tried his best not to stare across at those high cheekbones or brow ridges or, stars forbid, those _eyes_.

“I love the red! Is it natural or?”

Thrawn began to explain what the apparent eyeliner actually was but Eli wasn’t listening because, wow, those pale blue lips were suddenly extremely enticing and his face was so hot that Thrawn was surely going to comment on it. There was something strangely intimate about getting his skin to match Thrawn’s perfectly, even with a total enthusiastic stranger in the bowels of Coruscant.

Eli finally gave up pretending like he wasn’t staring because Thrawn most certainly _was_ , a heat to his gaze that only encouraged Eli’s embarrassment as his face was continued to be painted. _There were worse ways to die_ , Eli thought.

“Finished! Take a look.”

The Twi’lek handed him a handheld mirror and Eli gaped at his reflection. It was astonishing how something like color could make such a difference. He hardly recognized himself. Passing as a Pantorian would be easy if he looked like this.

“That’s incredible and perfect.” Eli said, still somewhat at a loss for words.

She beamed. “Thank ya! Glad I could be of help. Is there anything else ya need?”

“This should be sufficient,” said Thrawn.

Eli tuned them out as they settled the details of the transaction, still stunned by his transformation. If he looked like this, then it would be much easier to play the part of whatever strange character Thrawn thought up. It was like being the lead in a holodrama.

That sentiment didn’t change as Thrawn kindly helped him to his feet, a full bag of pigments in his other hand. Eli flushed and wondered what _that_ looked like under the blue. He waved a farewell to the Twi’lek and noticed that Thrawn had either tipped her or the dyes were more expensive than he thought. Maybe it was both. She waved back, a huge smile on her face.

The journey back to their apartment was uneventful, even though it was getting late. The rabble and ruffians hadn’t made an appearance yet and they were now several hundred levels higher from where they had been, which lessened the chances of something illegal or inconvenient happening to them.

“So, how long is the real stuff supposed to last for?” Eli asked Thrawn once they had gotten back into the apartment.

“Indefinitely,” said Thrawn. “It requires a special chemical for removal.”

“And it’s safe?” He was still a little nervous about _that_ aspect. Spending time in a bacta tank to fix damaged skin was not his idea of fun, especially if it could be avoided.

“I would not subject you to something that would injure you, Vanto. You know this.”

Eli bit his lip, unsure of how to respond to that. He was getting some weird signals from Thrawntoday.

Instead, he deflected. “I’m tired. I’m showering and then going to sleep. You keep doing whatever you need to do, but I’m out of thinking power.”

“Fair enough. Good night, Eli.”

“ ‘Night, Thrawn.”


	2. Dye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli and Thrawn get hot new looks.

“Eli Vanto, wake up.”

The voice was low but insistent and Eli wished that it would go away and leave him to sleep for just a few more hours. He’d been having such a nice dream and now it was gone.

“I would like to begin the dyeing process sooner rather than later.”

Eli groaned and pulled his blankets over his head, shutting out Thrawn’s voice. “It’s too early. Go away.”

“This is a time-sensitive endeavor, Vanto, as we’ll be traveling on a scheduled passenger ship to Pantora, and not all of my preparations have been finished.”

“You hardly need me for that.” Eli grumbled.

“ _You_ are the preparations. I have caf.”

That was more of an incentive and Eli reluctantly untangled himself from the blankets and sat up, accepting the mug of caf. Thrawn’s appearance didn’t register until his third sip of caf and he did a double take. There were two rectangular curved markings following his cheekbones, a line down the bridge of his nose, and a final pair of markings outlining his brow ridges. The effect of the yellow markings on blue skin made Thrawn look more dramatic than usual, which was difficult to surpass. Eli swallowed wrong and immediately went into a coughing fit, looking away from Thrawn.

“Are you alright?” Thrawn asked, a note of concern in his voice.

“Yeah.” Eli took a deep breath and regained his composure. “Wow.”

“Is it acceptable?”

Thrawn looked a little worried as Eli forced himself to look at the man again, successfully managing to keep his composure. Everything seemed perfect to him.

“It looks great, sir.” He managed.

“Excellent.” Thrawn moved towards the door. “I will prepare the dye. Do not delay too long.”

Eli sighed and reluctantly got out of bed and headed to the refresher. Again, he wondered how he’d gotten into this situation.

~

He was more awake now and had even gotten to eat before Thrawn gently bothered him again.   
  
“It will dry out if you delay much longer, Vanto.”

“Alright, alright. It’s not that hard. Give me the things and I’ll get started.”

“Oh no,” said Thrawn, looking very serious. “ _I_ will be doing the application.”

“ _What_?” Eli could not believe what he was hearing. “I’m more than capable of covering myself in blue dye.”

“Your capability is not in doubt, but this is not as simple as covering yourself in dye. To achieve a natural appearance, a finer touch is required.”

He couldn’t argue with that logic. The last thing they needed was Eli’s disguise to look like a festival costume.

“Okay,” Eli agreed, reluctantly.

“Thank you. Please disrobe.”

“ _What._ ” Eli said again, giving Thrawn an incredulous look. “Why?”

“I would like to be thorough.”

Eli opened his mouth to argue and then decided that he’d just suffer the embarrassment instead. Thrawn had this in his mind and there would be no convincing him to take another course of action. He stood up and took off his shirt and stared at the ground, unable to even look at Thrawn. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his body or anything and certainly Thrawn and seen more or less all of him in their time together, but to do this deliberately was another matter entirely. He wasn’t sure _how_ Thrawn saw him. Eli thought they were friends at the very, _very_ least.

But this was just for a mission, right? It wasn’t like it was anything personal. It was just Thrawn who would be carefully staring at him for gods know how long and making sure that every possible exposed inch of his body had turned blue. Great. Now he really couldn’t think straight.

Thrawn was eyeing his shorts but didn’t say anything and Eli followed him over to the impromptu painting area, essentially just a towel on the floor and several glass bowls filled with a clear gel. Eli sat down on the towel and eyed the bowls with suspicion.

“Shouldn’t it be blue?”

“It reacts with your skin and turns it blue. Were you not paying attention last night?”

“I guess not,” said Eli, taking a deep breath and pushing his anxiety out of his mind. This was fine.

“I’ll begin with the base layer on your face. Please close your eyes.”

_I trust you_ , Eli thought, taking one last look at the assortment of different sized brushes and then at Thrawn himself kneeling patiently in front of him, and closed his eyes.

He wasn’t expecting the gel to be pleasantly warm as the first brushstroke touched his face. It made Eli’s skin tingle slightly but that was it. It wasn’t painful as Eli had feared it would be. The brush was soft against his skin, a careful and gentle touch even over his eyelids. A brush over his lips sent a shiver down his spine.

“Is this alright?” Thrawn asked, his voice quiet and calming.

“Yes,” Eli breathed, careful to not lick his lips. “It’s warm. And it doesn’t hurt.”

“Good. It’s fascinating to watch your skin change.”

“Glad you’re enjoying it.”

Another shudder ran through his body as Thrawn painted a thick line down his throat. Thrawn paused again.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. I can’t help it. Can I open my eyes yet?”

Not that looking at Thrawn doing this to him would help him relax. A cold finger brushed lightly over his face and Eli managed to not flinch away.

“It’s no longer wet, so you should be fine.”

“Oh good.”

Eli opened his eyes and bit back a curse. Thrawn was much closer than he expected, the glow from his eyes bright in the dim room as he continued to paint Eli’s neck. That man had _no_ _right_ looking that attractive.

“That’s so strange,” said Eli, crossing his eyes so he could look at his newly blue nose.

“Blue does suit you.”

“If I end up looking half like you, then I’ll be in fine shape.”

Thrawn gave him a questioning look. “What do you mean by that?”

Oh no, he was not going to tell Thrawn how handsome he was. He did not need any encouragement and certainly did not need to know what kind of effect his stupid face had on Eli.

“Never mind,” Eli said quickly. “It’s nothing. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You’re doing fine.” Thrawn said, “Look to your right.”

Eli obeyed, a steadying hand cold against his jaw as Thrawn painted up the side of his neck. The brush dipped slightly into his ear, Thrawn not missing a single spot.   
  
“Careful,” Eli warned. “I think you want me to hear still.”

“I am being cautious, Vanto.”

“I have to say it.”

Eli closed his eyes again, hoping that would help things if he didn’t have to look at Thrawn’s intensely focused eyes as he continued to paint. His whole face felt warm at this point and it was more than just the gel. There was something so intimate and potentially erotic about the whole situation that was making his heart race and he knew Thrawn could feel that, his cool fingers lightly resting against a pulse point as he tilted Eli’s head to the left. 

It wasn’t until Thrawn had finished with his arms that Eli opened his eyes again, his face heating as Thrawn gently took one of his hands and, instead of using a brush, dipped his fingers into the dye and massaged it into Eli’s skin like it was lotion and not a gently blossoming wave of sky blue over tan skin. Thoughts of Thrawn’s fingers somewhere else doing the same thing came unbidden into his mind and Eli flushed furiously.

Thrawn looked at him with some measurement of amusement and Eli cursed his Human biology for being so transparent for the Chiss to read.

“You blush violet now, Vanto.”

Great, that did _not_ make him feel any less embarrassed. Again, Thrawn was just the worst.

“This sure is taking a while. I thought you said we were on a schedule.”

Maybe Thrawn would just hurry up and finish already so Eli could go wallow in his embarrassment before they left.

“It would be faster if I just used my hands.” Thrawn paused to let that sink in. “I wasn’t sure if you would be comfortable with that.”

Now there was a thought. And if Thrawn rubbed the rest of his body with as much attention as he was giving his hands… It was basically a massage, right? Nothing weird about that. Thrawn owed him a massage for all the stress he put Eli through.

“Sure.” Eli decided. What the hell.

Thrawn looked slightly surprised and more than a little pleased. Eli wondered what the subtext of that was and then decided to stop thinking as Thrawn coated his palms in the gel and slid his hands down Eli’s sides, stopping just above his hips and rubbing Eli’s torso in strong, but not rough circles.

Eli chewed on the inside of his lip until he tasted blood. If he didn’t keep his mouth shut, he would almost certainly be moaning _especially_ when Thrawn dragged his hands over his pectorals in what had to be deliberate slowness. And from the way his eyes were glowing, Eli had a sinking feeling that Thrawn knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

Was this flirting? Were they flirting? Of course it had to be something weird like _this_ but that was kind of par for the course for them.

Or maybe he was reading too much into it and Thrawn was just being practical and that look in his eyes meant something totally different. Right. That was probably it. This was totally normal.

His chest now evenly blue, Thrawn stood up and moved to Eli’s back, his hands falsely warm as they kneaded his shoulder muscles.   
  
“You’re tense.” Thrawn remarked, pressing a bit more against a tight muscle.

Eli snorted and tried not to melt under the perfect amount of pressure Thrawn was providing. “That’s all your fault. I didn’t have this much anxiety before I met you.”

“And yet you’re still here.” Thrawn pointed out.

“I must be crazy to have stayed at your side.”

“I am thankful that you have, Vanto.”

Eli would have felt more pleased by that statement, but Thrawn’s hands were dangerously close to his ass and he was _not_ ready for that level of contact. Squirming away from the other man, he bolted to his feet, heart racing still. Thrawn didn’t look upset or anything, just curious.

Eli took a deep breath. “I can get the rest myself.”   
  
“Are you sure?” Thrawn said. “It’s really no trouble.”

“I can do it. Thank you.” He grabbed the bowl that looked like it had enough liquid in it to cover the rest of his body and then some. “Is this the same color?”

“Yes, but I-“

“Okaythanksbye.” Vanto said in a rush and retreated to the refresher, pointedly locking the door.

Eyeing himself in the mirror, he put one hand to his chin in an imitation of Thrawn’s thoughtful pose and found that he didn’t look as ridiculous as he felt. Once he dyed the waist down, he would really look the part of a Pantorian. Maybe when they got back he’d order some red contacts.

For science.

It was simple enough to finish up the rest of his body and now he understood what Thrawn had meant by _fascinating_. It was like painting with watercolor, the blue spreading out in ripples as his skin reacted to the chemicals, and by far the strangest thing he’d ever done to his body.

There was only one last part of him that wasn’t blue and he couldn’t imagine anyone actually seeing his dick but, hell, the gel was _warm_ and basically lube so he might as well get rid of that last bit of lingering arousal from Thrawn absolutely teasing him. Might as well get something good out of this whole situation.

~

Thrawn stared at the refresher door, his sensitive ears picking up the distinct sound of Vanto quietly pleasuring himself. Not totally unexpected. Still, he’d pretend like he hadn’t heard anything and spare Vanto any further embarrassment, if only out of concern that Vanto would actually leave him if he pushed too hard.

Touching Vanto like that had been something he’d wanted to do for a long time. The Human’s skin was so warm and the way his touch made his body react was intriguing, to say the least. Shame that it had to end.

Thrawn sighed and began mixing the yellow dye for Vanto’s markings, thinking about what pattern Vanto should have that would signify his position. Family? Somewhat, but that wasn’t the impression he wanted to make. He was more than a servant or an aid. They should have similar social statuses to make things less complicated.

Then the perfect idea struck him and Thrawn smiled. Yes, that would work quite nicely. And he didn’t have to tell Vanto the meaning of the markings unless he asked or it was brought up.

Vanto finally emerged from the refresher looking far more relaxed and quite stunning in blue. Thrawn was getting some better ideas about outfits already now that he had a better frame of reference.

“One last step.” Thrawn said, gesturing at the chair next to him.

Vanto gave a heavy sigh, but settled down on the kitchen chair, glancing at the datapads on the table that were displaying reference patterns.

“Do I get to pick?” He asked.

  
  
Thrawn shook his head. “That’s just left over from my research on the social connotations of the Pantorian markings.”

“Well, I had to ask.”

“Do try to stay still or I’ll have to start all over on your face.” Thrawn warned, dipping a small rectangular brush into the dye.

“I’ll do my best.”

To his credit, Vanto didn’t move an inch and Thrawn was easily able to complete the patterns on his face. The markings paralleled his own but if they were to, say, kiss, the markings on their foreheads would line up precisely, the gaps between each shape filled in by the other person’s markings.

Thrawn was quite pleased with his handiwork. Vanto did look the part of a Pantorian. Or perhaps a Chiss with an eye condition. He smiled at that thought.

“What’re you thinking about?” Vanto asked, noticing his expression.

“I was just thinking that my people would likely say that you had an eye condition.”

Vanto grinned at that. “I suppose to you my eyes are the strange ones, huh?”

“You can’t even see into the infrared.” Thrawn raised a teasing eyebrow. “How do Humans even manage?”

“Dunno,” said Vanto. “When you find the answer to that, let me know.”

The remainder of the day was spent looking for several outfits for Vanto. It was much easier for Thrawn to make decisions now that Vanto looked as he should. Vanto was a wreck walking around, admitting that he was concerned that someone that they knew would see him and that would be hard to explain. Thrawn had reassured him that he was practically unrecognizable which had been enough for the Human to calm down somewhat and regain some of his usual confidence.

When they returned home, Vanto suggested that they order in Pantorian food to get a taste for what they’d likely be consuming. Thrawn thought that was an excellent idea. And so the rest of the evening passed in comfortable discussion of their plans for the Pantora mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the weather is less like Hoth here and more like uhhhhh Lothal's northern hemisphere which is to say that it's just like an inch of snow so far but let me check... 
> 
> yep still a letdown. 
> 
> Wish there was more information about Pantora but *cracks knuckles* I can make shit up too. (please hire me Del Rey fuck that's all I want) 
> 
> uhhhh anyway please comment if you want to. no pressure. I crave attention. I love you. the world may be a disaster but at least we can read. kaybye


	3. Kuru and Cheli

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys prepare to depart Coruscant.

They would be leaving for Pantora today and Eli was surprised at how confident he felt with the whole situation. It helped that they were running through the fundamentals of the plan again but, still, he didn’t feel as half as anxious as he thought he’d be. Maybe it was Thrawn’s confidence finally rubbing off on him.

It was nice that this undercover mission had more preparation to it than the typical Thrawn style of just making it up as they went along. Either it was that or Thrawn realized the benefit of actually clueing him in. They would be playing similar roles. Eli was privately thankful that he hadn’t been cast as an aid. Even if it was for a short time, he could be on somewhat even footing with Thrawn.

“Once more,” said Thrawn. “What is your name?”

“Cheli.” Eli responded, not hesitating this time. “I have a small shipping company that is continually threatened by pirates. You are my business partner.”

Thrawn had just said _partner_ but Eli assumed that’s what he meant and Thrawn hadn’t corrected him yet, so…

“Good.” Thrawn smiled slightly. “And I am Kuru. We have a side business of spice smuggling which is why the pirates have been targeting our shipments. This is our motivation for contacting the Golden Claw.”

“Simple enough.”

“Additionally, we have documentation created by our friends at the ISB that would support our story if anyone were to investigate us.”

“Is it really necessary for us to take a passenger liner there?” Eli sighed. “They’re just so… crowded. And slow.”

“We will have our own room.” Thrawn reassured. “I have made sure of that.”

“There’s just one last detail.” He hated to say it, but it needed saying. “Your glasses aren’t going to cut it.”

“Is that so?” Thrawn removed the glasses and studied them. “They seem to have done a sufficient job in the past.”

“Thing is, I can still see a bit of a glow and you won’t be able to rely on the mask of the Golden Claw until we are accepted into the group. Or at least, that particular mask, I guess.” Eli shrugged. “I’d rather not hinder your sight, but I don’t really see another option.”

Thrawn looked thoughtful. “So something that will conceal my eyes entirely. I may just have something that would work.”

Eli watched Thrawn disappear into his spare room. With the amount of weird stuff Thrawn collected, it wasn’t much of a surprise that he had something that would suit their purposes. He’d seen beings with those cybernetic visor enhancements and something like that could work minus, of course, the actual implants. Eli didn’t like the idea of Thrawn not being able to see but, honestly, it was just as likely that Thrawn would manage just fine.

Thrawn emerged from his room a few minutes later and settled back down across from Eli, placing a curious object on the table. “The species who made this were light-sensitive, spending most of their time underground. Those of them that traveled had to wear these to block out the shorter visible light spectrum or risk having their limited vision destroyed.”

Of course it was an art thing. Eli picked it up, marveling at how light it was. It was some sort of flexible material that seemed like it would adhere to the users face. Holding it up to his face, Eli could hardly see though it. It seemed like it would work to block out the ambient glow from Thrawn’s eyes.

“I don’t see why not,” said Eli, handing the visor to Thrawn. “It certainly seems dark enough.”

“I should still be able to view the infrared through it so I won’t be entirely blind.” Thrawn gave a wry smile. “That species also wore these because, evidently like myself, they had unusual eyes and found that concealing them aided in gaining the trust of others.”

“Hopefully it’ll have the same effect for us.”

Eli watched as Thrawn pressed the visor to his face. It seemed to be made of some sort of moldable plastoid, conforming around his eyes and adhering to his temples. To Eli’s relief, he couldn’t see even a hint of a red glow.

“You ought to walk around with that on as a test run.”

Secretly, Eli hoped that Thrawn would run into something that so he could tease Thrawn but the Chiss navigated the apartment with ease.

“Is my appearance up to your standards?” Thrawn asked.

Thrawn more than met his standards on an average day. “Yeah, I think we make a fine pair of Pantorians. Will you be alright in that?”

Thrawn nodded. “I haven’t relied on my infrared vision since I was in training back on my home world, but I should be fine.”

“I can be your guide if you need help.” Eli offered.

“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll take you up on that.” Thrawn slid something across the table. “This is for you.”

Eli stared at the delicate vibroblade before him. The handle had a complex carved pattern and it did have a nice weight in his hand as he picked it up. So it was going to be one of those trips. The synthleather jacket he was wearing did have a built in holster for a blade so at least he had a place to put it, but he really didn’t want to be doing any stabbing. Thrawn was the one with all the fighting experience after all. Not that Eli couldn’t hold his own in a fight - he was a decent shot with a blaster.

“Thanks. I hope I won’t have to use it.” He holstered the blade and checked his chrono. It was nearly time to start making their way to the spaceport.

“If you have to use it, then the situation will be dire indeed. I don’t want you to be defenseless.”

“I’m with you, Thrawn.” Eli smiled. “How could I ever be defenseless?”

~

After nearly running into a group of tourists, Eli decided to place a guiding hand on Thrawn’s waist. The last thing they needed was some being to get offended by a hapless Chiss stumbling into them.   
  
“I’ll be fine,” said Thrawn. “I’m just adjusting.”

“I know. I just don’t want you running into someone that’ll make a big fuss about it.”

“Who would berate a blind Pantorian?”

“A Courscanti Human, of course. I’ve seen much worse happen.” The Humans of Coruscant were not the best representation of their species, especially not the rich ones from the upper levels.

“Do we need to communicate with the Colonel?” Eli asked as they passed a holoscreen advertising the Imperial Academy.

“I updated him before we left.”

“Any new information from him?”

Thrawn shook his head. “He wished us luck. And he said you made a fine Pantorian.”

“You sent him a holo of me?” Eli blushed furiously. That was totally embarrassing.

“Yes.” Thrawn looked over at him and smiled. “I can see you much better now.”

“Great.” Eli huffed. “Glad that’s helpful for someone.”

They had arrived at the spaceport now and Eli took Thrawn’s arm, pulling him closer and out of the way of a stream of exiting passengers as he consulted his datapad for the location of their shuttle. They’d be taking a shuttle to the passenger liner in orbit which would then depart for Pantora. The journey was a little over a standard day and a half and Eli was thankful that Thrawn had managed to get them a room because sitting in a crowded cabin with a hundred other beings he didn’t know was _not_ his idea of a relaxing trip.

“Looks like bay B7… That’s to our left. Come on.” He tugged Thrawn along who didn’t seem to mind being lead around.

B7 was the right bay, a line of Pantorians already having formed and as the two of them got in line, he was relieved to see that they looked very much like the rest of the Pantorians around them. A droid took their luggage (four bags) and Eli got their forged ids out of his pocket. As they moved to the front of the line, Eli suddenly realized that somehow he was now holding Thrawn’s hand and their fingers interlaced surprisingly well and - what the _fuck_ he was holding Thrawn’s hand. Or maybe Thrawn was holding _his_ hand? 

And he couldn’t say anything about it because they were at the front of the line and he handed over the ids to the bored Imperial who glanced at them for two seconds and handed them back, waving them on in the shuttle. They found seats in the middle of the shuttle, Eli taking the window seat. As soon as Thrawn sat down, he squeezed their clasped hands pointedly.  
  
“What is this all about?” Eli whispered, still not sure when exactly this had happened. “Why?”

“I thought this would be easier for you to guide me. I apologize if I presumed-“

“It’s fine.” Eli decided. It actually was reassuring and maybe it was helping Thrawn. He wouldn’t make a big deal about it. “Are you managing okay, Kuru?”

“Yes, Cheli.” Thrawn replied with a slight smile. “It is difficult to leave a familiar place for a new one. But you’re at my side, so I am not worried.”

_Space_. That was actually really sweet of Thrawn to say and, honestly, Eli felt very much the same way. He looked out the window, hoping that Thrawn didn’t see how his face warmed at that, and kept holding Thrawn’s now slightly warmer hand.

~

Eli had never been on a passenger liner that was this fancy. That being said, he’d never been on a passenger liner, period. This was a new experience for him and from the way Thrawn still had a firm grip on his hand, he figured that Thrawn was in much the same boat. They’d been on cruisers or smaller vessels in the last few years, not an ostentatious star liner like this. It was so large and complex that Eli had to continually check his datapad to make sure that they _were_ headed in the right direction.

“I think we’re about there.” Eli checked the room number on his datapad against the doors they were passing and to his relief, they were in the right section.

They passed three more doors and arrived at what was to be their room for the next 36 or so hours. Eli’s datapad (or rather Cheli’s datapad) opened the door and the two of them entered a compact but luxurious room with the largest bed that Eli had ever seen on a starship. Bed, singular. There was a door that he assumed lead to the refresher but other than that, it was mostly just a room with a bed.

Thrawn pulled him into the room and the door closed behind them. “Is the room satisfactory, Cheli?”

“There’s just one bed,” said Eli, now really having a feeling that something was up that Thrawn hadn’t told him about. 

“So there is.” Thrawn let go of his hand to remove the visor (mask? Blinders? Eli didn’t know what to call it) and now was squinting slightly as his eyes adjusted to the light. “I had to save costs somewhere.”   
  
Eli didn’t believe that one bit. Thrawn had already proven that the ISB didn’t care how many creds they spent because his results were undeniably point on every time. The ISB _loved_ Thrawn.

And it wasn’t like he would mind sleeping next to Thrawn. It was a large bed after all and they would have plenty of space. And Thrawn wasn’t really his superior officer right now so there was that. It was just nerve-racking because he enjoyed being with Thrawn and really didn’t want to jeopardize whatever it was that they had with something as frustrating as _feelings_.

But what the hell were they going to do until it was an appropriate time to sleep? Eli didn’t have to wait long for an answer as Thrawn pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket and settled in the middle fo the bed, looking expectant.

“I wonder if we know any of the same card games.” Thrawn said. “If not, I can teach you.”

“Always a good skill to have.” Eli settled down on the bed across from Thrawn. “I’ll try to go easy on you.”

“Your confidence is refreshing, Cheli.”

~

Eight hours, about a hundred card games, and one droid-delivered meal later, Eli was laughing on his side of the bed as Thrawn threw his hand of cards down in utter frustration.

“How do you keep winning? You just learned this game.”

“Kuru, my whole thing is data and cards are a limited data set. So it’s not that hard when I run the probabilities.”

Thrawn grumbled something in what must have been his native language and checked his datapad. “Just a bit over a standard day left until we reach Pantora.”

Eli tossed his cards down and stretched his arms over his head. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I could sleep for 10 hours.”

“How could you possibly sleep for that long?”

“I work very hard, thank you. I need my beauty sleep.”

Thrawn shrugged. “You are already beautiful.”

Eli stared at him, mouth slightly agape in shock. _What_. And Thrawn was just looking at him like he hadn’t just said something extremely flirtatious. He had no idea how to respond that.

“I’m… going to put my sleep clothes on now.”

He didn’t look at Thrawn as he dug through his backpack (pushing snacks aside) until he found his pajamas and quickly entered the refresher. With a solid door to his back, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. His reflection wasn’t helping either because all _that_ made him think about was Thrawn’s strong hands rubbing that gel into his skin and _fuck_ this was torture because now he had to sleep next to that smug blue bastard and if that wasn’t going to be awkward.

“Be cool, Cheli,” he told his reflection as he changed out of the burgundy sythleather jacket and black pants. “It’s just Kuru. You’ve known him forever. It’s fine.”

That didn’t really help but at least his face wasn’t quite as purple as it had been. Eli cracked open the door and caught sight of a _lot_ of blue. Right. Shirtless Thrawn. This was fine. Thrawn had slept like that as a cadet too.

Except now Thrawn was clearly way more muscular than he’d been a few years ago.

Eli averted his gaze and quickly made his way to the other side of the bed and slipped under the soft sheets. The room darkened as Thrawn turned off the lights and Eli turned on his side, just to come face to face with glowing red eyes as Thrawn faced him.

“Good night, Kuru.” Eli managed to say, unable to look away from that intense gaze.

“I will do my best not to bother you as you sleep. Sleep well, Cheli.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey happy pi day. that's cool. math. 
> 
> It's finally actually Hoth where I'm at and it's fantastic. thank you weather. 
> 
> depending on how this week goes, next update will likely fall on Friday. but if I'm extra productive at work, well, who knows.
> 
> anyways. peace.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Accidental (possibly) snuggles. Bottomless mimosas on Observation Deck 400.

Despite Thrawn’s posturing about not needing much sleep, Eli found himself waking up first. This was mostly due to the fact that Thrawn was wrapped around him like a thirsty being near the only source of water on a desert planet. It wasn’t just Thrawn that had moved in his sleep as Eli realized that he’d tangled up in Thrawn plenty, nearly fully on top of him with one leg hitched over Thrawn’s hip, and he was practically using Thrawn’s chest as a cold, muscular pillow. Eli could hear Thrawn’s heartbeat (a slightly different pattern than a Human’s) and the slow steady breathing of someone in a deep sleep.

He absolutely could not move, and not just because Thrawn’s arms were wrapped around him and holding him securely in place. Eli really didn’t want to wake Thrawn because he looked so peaceful in a way that Eli rarely saw. He wasn’t thinking about a million scenarios and outwitting the universe. Right now, he was just another regular being getting some well-deserved rest. This moment was precious and Eli intended on savoring every second of it.

He looked at his comm out of the corner of his eye and sighed ever so slightly. If he could just take a holo of this moment that would be perfect but it was too far away and Thrawn didn’t seem like he’d be letting go anytime soon. Eli wondered when the last time Thrawn had slept with someone was. Not in a sexual way. Just like this. Hell, Eli had no idea if the man was already married or something. Was he hot by Chiss standards? And how old was he, anyways? Eli really didn’t care about the answers to those questions. All that mattered was that Thrawn was here and was beautiful and was holding him.

Thrawn moved slightly and tightened his grip just a little too much and Eli’s breath caught in his chest. Not in the fun way but in a _this man is very strong and might could accidentally kill me_ way. 

“Kuru, oh my stars, you gotta let go.” He wriggled slightly, useless against those strong arms.

Well, if he died, it was a hell of a way to go. 

Thrawn’s eyes opened slowly, sleepy little glowing slits as he slowly released Eli. His hands moved to gently rest on Eli’s hips as he blinked and processed what was happening.

“Good morning, Cheli.” Thrawn said with a slight smile. “I thought you were going to stay on that side.”

Eli huffed in false offense. “And I didn’t think you’d hold me like a plush tooka, but here we are.”

“Yes, here we are.” Thrawn said softly. “Did you sleep well despite your reluctance to share a bed with me?”

“It’s not that.” He wanted to make it very clear to Thrawn that he wasn’t repulsed by him (perish the thought) or something. “I actually do enjoy your company and if I overstepped boundaries or something and you didn’t like me anymore then, fuck, I really don’t know what I’d do with myself. You’ve brought more meaning into my life.”

Eli instantly regretted confessing all of that because Thrawn got a soft sort of look in his eyes.

“Cheli, I would never push you away. If I didn’t value you, I would have let you go back to your original desired life course. It would have been such a waste.”

“I still don’t understand why you think so highly of me.” Eli mumbled against cool blue flesh, suddenly unable to look at Thrawn.

“Like me, you have a talent that others do not understand. We have a kinship in that.”

“I guess we do have that in common.”

He didn’t believe that his talents were anywhere near close to Thrawn-level. The confidence that Thrawn had in him really felt good, though. Thrawn’s eyes slowly closed again, evidently still tired. One hand had moved from his waist to tangle in his hair and Eli, again, found himself unable to move, his heart warmed by the tender gesture.

Unlike Thrawn (evidently) he couldn’t fall asleep again that quickly and he really needed the refresher and he was hungry and a whole host of other reasons that he couldn’t stay in bed with Thrawn. And he really didn’t want to get aroused and have Thrawn comment about his anatomy and then he’d have to live with that. No. He’d just carefully untangle himself from Thrawn and go about his day. Besides, Eli wanted to walk around the ship and see one of the observation rooms before they arrived at Pantora. It would just be hyperspace, but that was still a nice thing to look at.

Was it too early to drink? Eli pondered this as he managed to escape Thrawn’s cuddling clutches and dart into the refresher. If he had something to eat, then that made it much less sad. After all, he’d seen an advertisement for mimosas and if he could destroy three ships with one turbolaser, then that would be just fine.

Freshly showered and dressed in another comfortable burgundy outfit, Eli stole one more glance at Thrawn (still sound asleep) before slipping out of the room. Thrawn would be fine and Eli was grown and could _certainly_ take care of himself. He adjusted the hat that he was less enthused about wearing (the dangling crystals kept falling into his field of vision) and headed to the observation deck.

~

When Thrawn finally woke, he was disappointed to see that Vanto had left. Even with delaying his sleep to the last four hours of Vanto’s eight, they still hadn’t been up at the same time. Well, they had for a moment, but Thrawn _really_ had been tired still as Vanto had interrupted a deep sleep cycle. It seemed that Vanto had left his comm also which was decidedly not helpful. He could guess that Vanto had gone to eat breakfast and probably had chosen to do so in a nearby observation lounge. He wasn’t entirely confident in his ability to navigate with most of his vision blocked, but it was as good as a time to try.

After getting ready, he took both their comms and put them in a pocket. If anything, he could tell Vanto that he had left his comm and, as always, Thrawn was curious to see if his guess had been correct on Vanto’s current location. With the visor adhered to his face, Thrawn was limited to the infrared spectrum which was serviceable enough to navigate the hallways, but not nearly keen enough to make out any fine details. His datapad was of far more use now that he’d adjusted the display to the infrared spectrum. The Pantorians he passed had a lower body temperature than Humans, he noticed. Vanto would stick out radiantly when Thrawn found him.

Glancing at the datapad, Thrawn saw that he was nearly to the observation deck and when he turned, he immediately spotted Vanto sitting alone, glowing to him like a star in the void. Vanto had turned towards him and while he could not make out his expression, the heat flowing to his face told Thrawn everything he needed to know.

“Is this seat taken?” Thrawn asked, gesturing to the other open chair.   
  
“It is now,” said Vanto in a resigned voice. “I haven’t ordered anything besides drinks yet.”

There was a flimsi menu on the table and Thrawn regarded it with cynicism. “Hardly accessible.”

“I’ll just order for you, sir- I mean, Kuru.”

Thrawn could tell from Vanto’s voice that he’d rolled his eyes. Vanto, of course, knew exactly what Thrawn would want and how he liked his caf and-

“Are you imbibing alcohol?”

“Yeah,” said Vanto. “It’s a mimosa. A morning speciality. I’ll get you one too.”

“You really shouldn’t-“ Thrawn protested.

“Nah, it’s a vacation isn’t it, _Kuru_?” Vanto said pointedly.

“It’s certainly _something_ like that, Cheli.”

Best not to let Vanto know what any other Pantorian would come to the conclusion upon seeing them and their particular markings. It was a vacation, of sorts, certainly. The kind of vacation that one would take after telling a partner something important. It seemed closer to the truth than anything else. But Thrawn really didn’t want to embarrass Vanto. It would come up at some point, but he was unwilling to cross that bridge until it was totally necessary.

A droid came by with Vanto’s orders and Thrawn eyed the radiant heat coming off… something with a measurement of suspicion. Again, his vision was not that distinct, though it might improve over time.

“It’s just hot grains with fruit like you have every day. It’s not my _spicy_ _mystery meat_ as you call it.” Vanto seemed to be doing an impression of Thrawn’s voice and was probably looking quite pleased.

“I do not understand how you can consume that so early in the morning.” Thrawn took a bite of his meal and it was as Vanto had said and quite delicious at that.

“It’s ‘cause my stomach is the opposite of sensitive whereas you, evidently, have consumed the blandest of rations all your life.”

Vanto wasn’t wrong on that account. It wasn’t like he’d been raised on the silver spoon of the Aristocra. The specific form of his nutrition wasn’t high on Thrawn’s list of priorities.

“If I was also a food and beverage connoisseur, I believe I would be too powerful, Cheli.”

“I bet you could do it.” Vanto’s tone was teasing as he took a sip of his drink. “Come on. What being made your hot grains?”

Thrawn gave an over exaggerated sigh, looked at his breakfast and then at Vanto and said, “A droid,” before continuing to eat.

“I’d be impressed but I know you read up on this particular starliner.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

For some reason, that made Vanto’s face heat up and when Thrawn took a sip of his mimosa, Vanto’s face was so bright that he had to look away.

“You have one of your own.” Vanto protested.

“I only desire a sip.”

“Typical.” Vanto took the glass back, warm fingers brushing against Thrawn’s hand. “At least they’re bottomless.”

“Bottomless?”

Basic was a terrible language and Thrawn still found himself confused by certain phrases such as that.

“It means unlimited,” Vanto explained patiently. “Though it does sound more like something that you’d have to drink in a certain amount of time before it’s gone. Huh.”

Vanto regarded Thrawn’s mimosa thoughtfully and with a shrug of his shoulders, polished that off as well.

“How many of those have you had?” Thrawn asked cautiously, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer.

“Don’t worry about it, Kuru.” Vanto said, his mouth full of spicy meat.

“If you compromise this-“

Vanto reached across the table and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m from Wild Space,” he said quietly. “I know how to drink.”

~

That had been a lie. 

Eli _could_ hold his liquor just fine, thank you, but whatever had been in those mimosas had been _strong_ and he had drank several and now he was struggling to focus on whatever Thrawn was saying, focusing far too much on those pale blue lips and the occasional flash of a dark blue tongue. And he was thinking far more dirty thoughts about Thrawn’s mouth than he should have been while in public and, gods, those yellow markings really looked good on him.

“Uh-huh,” said Eli, realizing that Thrawn was waiting for a response from him regarding something that he hadn’t heard because he was _not_ paying attention and, oh, hyperspace looked beautiful and if he didn’t look at Thrawn then he wouldn’t get hotter than he was already.

He really hoped that Thrawn hadn’t asked anything too important like _would you please fuck me_ or anything like that (though he was sure Thrawn would phrase it much more politely) or anything that Eli really should have been paying attention to. And of course that meant that he had to look back over at that stupidly attractive blue bastard and assess if it was worth asking him to repeat himself. Judging by that slight smug smile, Thrawn had seen through his clever lie.

And, of course, he proved it by pushing a glass of water at Eli and insisting that he finish the rest of his food, which evidently meant the inch or so of Thrawn’s (now warm) grains and three pieces of insanely spicy meat. Eli wanted to grumble something like, _you’re not the boss of me_ , but Thrawn _was_ the boss of him, as it were, and he really didn’t (did) want Thrawn to boss him.

Fuck, he was drunk.

The bill was charged to their room, so he was free to go and Thrawn, ironically, with the bad vision and all, ended up being the one who lead Eli back to their quarters and was, as always, insanely polite about the whole matter. Eli thought that maybe he should be a bit embarrassed by what he’d done but honestly he didn’t care and _fuck_ that bed was soft. He was on the side closest to the refresher, which was good even though he really didn’t feel like he was going to vomit. And Thrawn had settled down to the other side of him, visor off, and regarding him with that piercing gaze.

“Stars, I love your eyes,” Eli said, reaching out and tapping a blue cheekbone. “Such a shame you gotta cover them.”

Thrawn looked amused, his hand closing around Eli’s and pressing it to his face.

“And you are warm,” said Thrawn.

Oh _fuck_. Was that why Thrawn had snuggled up to him? Was his natural Human heat so compelling for a chilly Chiss? It _was_ wasn’t it. _Fuck._

“Didn’t realize you actually craved heat, sir- Kuru- whatever.” Eli grinned goofily. “You can cuddle up to me anytime.”

“I think I’ll wait until you’re in a little less of a compromised state. I would want you to be _very aware_ of that.”

And then Thrawn _kissed_ his hand and everything was just a little too much and Eli fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timmy Z, please, I gotta know for s c i e n c e. what color is Thrawn's tongue? inquiring minds need to know. also what color blood. these things are important. god. why are my questions unanswered. why do I have to make all this shit up myself. fuck. 
> 
> surprise it's actually a Wednesday update because I had traction on this chapter *chefs kiss* 
> 
> anyway please comment if you want to because I do love hearing ur thoughts. okay bye.

**Author's Note:**

> force help me I'm back on my bullshit again this time for REAL. prequel to Love is a Weapon with these two bois.
> 
> uhhh it's gonna snow like 5 fuckin feet here so I guess I live on Hoth now? so that's cool?? I also went to the mall and got two more piercings because that's what you do when you're an adult lmao 
> 
> anyways I'm real excited about this and I got plot and flowing ideas and it's gonna be real tasty.  
> pls comment. kthxbye


End file.
